Worcester hearing to examine overtime for hospital nurses

The Massachusetts Health Policy Commission will hold a public hearing as it prepares to draft guidelines for when hospital nurses are required to work overtime.

The hearing will be held Friday at the Worcester Recovery Center and Hospital Conference.

Under the state's new health care containment law, hospitals are prohibited from requiring nurses to work mandatory overtime except in the case of "an emergency situation" where the safety of the patients requires its use and there is no reasonable alternative.

The commission is responsible for developing guidelines to define "an emergency situation." The new independent state agency monitors the reform of health care delivery and payment systems in Massachusetts.